Floating calandria



' Dec. 22, 1936. N N ET A 2,065,147

FLOATING CALANDRIA Filed May 25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZSnventorSUfiarkns' LY W m, 1%

Patented Dec. 22, 1936 PATENT OFFICE FLOATING OALANDRIA Joseph J.Munson, Houma, and Charles C. Wiggin, Sr., New Orleans, La.

Application May 25, 1936, Serial No. 81,772

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in a floating calandriasuch as may be used in a vacuum pan in sugar refining and has for anobject to do away with the use of expansion joints at the steam inlet.

Another object is to direct the thrust caused by expansion of thecalandria when steam is first admitted against a fixed steam connectionand to permit sliding movement of the calandria on bearing surfaceswithin the pan.

A further object is to provide a top suspension which holds down thecalandria against the buoying effect of the boil mass in the pan.

Another object is to provide a suspension in which the calandria is freeto move in all directions except against the steam feed pipe.

In the prior art it has been customary in 'a device of this kind toattach the calandria to the walls of the vacuum pan throughout itscircumference and great difiiculty has been experienced because of theexpansion and contraction with respect to the pan when steam isadmitted. Another difficulty that has been very pronounced is thetendency of the calandria to rise to the top of the pan under thebuoying efiect of the rather denseboil mass which is being heated andconcentrated. The result of this tendency to rise has been to loosen thejoints of the calandria at its points of attachment eventually resultingin impairment of the eificiency of the concentrating unit and great lossof sugar liquor. As a result of the various movements of the calandriaunder the forces of expansion and buoyancy it was necessary to introducethe steam through an expansion joint. The expansion joint requiredpacking and was generally productive of trouble in that it alwayspermitted a certain amount of leakage and was a weak point in thesystem.

The present invention as illustrated in the embodiment here disclosedwill be seen to provide means for overcoming each of these defects.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be morefully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed outin the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views,

Figure l is a central vertical section taken on .the line ll. of Figure2 through a vacuum pan .with the improved floating calandria installed.Figure 2 isasection taken on the line 22 of Q Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a vacuum pan ID of conventional type having the dome lwhich communicates with another unit in a multiple effect concentrator 5or the like. The pan ID is cylindrical throughout its body and is madeup of a number of circular sections which are bolted or otherwisesecured together by means of end flanges I2. Be-

low the cylindrical body a tapered section I3 is attached which sectionterminates in the restricted mouth M from which liquid may be drawn off.The lowermost section of the pan Ill holds the calandria. As will beseen from an inspection of the drawings the calandria consists in a tophead I5 and a bottom head l6 both of which are provided with centralopenings. At these central openings the heads are attached to downtaketube I? which is fiush with the top head I5 but extends below the lowerhead.

I6 down into the tapered section l3 of the vacuum pan I0. At their outeredges the heads are attached to the short cylindrical shell l8. Thisforms in eifect a drum having a central opening extending from top tobottom. Also between the heads are placed a plurality of tubes l9 whichare open from top to bottom providing passages entirely through the drumfor circulation of the liquid in the pan. A steam inlet 20 passesthrough the shell 18 and communicates with the space inside the drum andaround the tubes IS. The steam inlet 20 is made fast to the wall of thepan ID by means of a series of washer plates 2| which are bolted orriveted to the wall of the pan. The drum is provided with a drain 22 forcondensate accumulating therein. The drain is fixed to the lower head l6and also to the wall of the tapered section I3 of the pan. The drain ispreferably of a resilient material so that it may follow movement ofthecalandria. A steam vent 23 is connected to the upper head l5 for thepurpose of removing uncondensed steam and gases which may be in thecalandria when the steam is admitted. This vent communicates with anysuitable flue to re-;

move these gases from the pan. As will be seen in Figure 3 a bafileplate 24 is provided around the inside of the drum to insure evencirculation of the steam admitted through the inlet 20.

It will be noted that the exhaust 22 and gas vent 23 are placed directlyin front of the steam inlet 20 and by means of this baflie 24 steamentering through the inlet is forced to travel to the opposite side ofthe drum and back before it can escape.

This insures that the greatest heating effect will be obtained from thesteam and also assists in securing equal expansion when steam is firstadmitted. For the purpose of suspending the calandria within the pan theupper head I5 is provided at spaced points about its circumference witha plurality of eye bolts 25 secured in the top head by means of the nuts26. At corresponding points around the inside of the center section ofthe pan I0 is placed a like number of brackets each formed of a baseplate 21, spaced side webs 28, a top plate 29 and a bottom bearing plate30. The top plate 29 serves to hold a hanger bolt 3| which is providedat its top with an adjusting nut 32 and at its lower end with the fork33. The fork 33 is placed over the head of the eye bolt 25 and a pin 34passed through the eye of said bolt. The bearing plate 30 at the lowerend of the bracket is cut away to pass around the eye bolt 25 when thecalandria is drawn up into position. The hanger bolt and suspensionpermits movement of the calandria in any direction and when drawn upagainst the bearing plates 3|] a certain amount of wear occurs in thecourse of the movement. To overcome the effects of the wear a strip 35of copper or other soft material is interposed between the top head andthe bracket. This strip 35 serves to take up any wear which may occur.It is advisable to make the brackets and bolts and all connections ofthe calandria of non-corrosive material as in the presence of the liquidat an elevated temperature corrosion of some metals occurs very rapidly.

As the calandria is anchored fast by the steam inlet 20 at one point inthe vacuum pan any expansion and consequent movement must take placeagainst this point. The yieldable nature of the suspension employed herepermits this movement to take place freely in any other direction andwith a minimum of strain on the fastening of the steam inlet. Also whenthe liquid is placed in the concentrator the hollow calandria will havea strong tendency to rise but the downwardly directed surfaces of thebearing plates 30 afford the ideal resistance to this type of movement.It .will be observed by reference to Figure 1 that the bearing plates 30extend over the top edge of the shell l8 as well as part way onto thetop head l5. It, therefore, exerts pressure directly on the shell I8 insome measure and the stress is not carried entirely through the jointbetween the top head and the plate l8.

It is of great importance to note that the expansion away from theanchored steam inlet 20 is wholly limited to the expansion of the largeinlet pipe while the calandria itself will expand in every directionproportionately at the same rate so that compensation will be requiredonly for the expansion away from the anchor point. In other words themovement of the calandria caused by expansion must take place away fromthe fixed steam inlet 20. The pressure tending to cause the calandria tomove on its mounting is exerted at the point of attachment to the inlet20 but as movement is relatively free the stress is not great enough todamage the joint with the inlet.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in thedetails of construction and design of the above specifically describedembodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof,such changes and modifications being restricted only by the Scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a heating pan, a calandria having a steam inlet pipe fixed to theside of the pan, a plurality of spaced brackets fixed on the inner wallof the pan, and means for holding the calandria to said bracketspermitting movement under the force of expansion.

2. In combination with a calandria and a heating pan, means forsuspending the calandria in the pan, and means for engagement with thetop of the calandria for holding against the tendency to rise in theliquid being heated.

3. In a steam calandria for use in a heating pan, a single fixedconnection between said calandria and pan consisting in the steam supplypipe, and means for suspending the calandria including brackets fixed tothe pan and movable connectors between said brackets and the calandria.

4. Suspension means for use with a calandria in a heating pan havingspaced brackets fixed to the pan above the calandria and provided withdownwardly directed surfaces for engagement with the top of thecalandria to prevent rising under the buoyant effect of liquid in thepan.

5. Suspension means for use with a calandria in a heating pan havingspaced brackets fixed to the pan above the calandria and provided withdownwardly directed surfaces for engagement with the top of thecalandria to prevent rising under the buoyant effect of liquid in thepan,

and having means for movably suspending the calandria. from saidbrackets.

6. In suspension means for a calandria, in a heating pan, an eye boltfixed to the top of the calandria, a bracket fixed to the side of thepan above the calandria and having a bearing plate for engagement withthe top thereof, and a hanger bolt fastened at its upper end to saidbracket and at its lower end pivotally secured to the calandria throughthe eye bolt whereby movement of the calandria against the bearing plateis permitted to compensate for expansion.

7. A suspension means for use with a calandria in a heating pan having,a fixed connection between the calandria and pan at one point, spacedbrackets fixed to the pan above the calandria with downwardly directedshoulders adapted to engage the top of the calandria to prevent risingunder the buoying effect of liquid in the pan, and means for movablysuspending the calandria from said brackets.

8. A floating connection for a calandria in a heating pan comprising asteam inlet fixed to the calandria and to the pan, a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced brackets fixed in the pan above the calandriaand having at the lower ends thereof downwardly directed bearing plates,and a corresponding plurality of hanger bolts secured to the bracketsand movably secured to the calandria.

9. In a, device of the character described, a fixed attachment betweencalandria and pan at one point, a plurality of spaced brackets in thepan above the calandria provided with downwardly directed bearingplates, movable suspending means between said bracket and the calandriafor holding the calandria against said bearing plates, and soft metalinserts between said calandria and said bearing plates to take up wearincident to relative movement thereof.

10. Ina heating pan, a calandria having a steam inlet pipe fixed to theside of the pan, and

a plurality of movable connectors each secured at one end to the pan andat the opposite end to the calandria, whereby the calandria ismaintained in the pan and permitted to move under the force ofexpansion.

11. In a heating pan, a plurality of circumferentially spaced rodssecured to the inside of the pan, a calandria in the pan and having asteam inlet pipe, and means for movably securing the calandria to theends of said spaced rods, whereby a floating suspension is obtained forthe calandria to permit movement under the force of expansion.

JOSEPH J. MUNSON. CHARLES C. WIGGIN, SR.

